


The Golden Dragon

by BellaEis



Category: Fullmetal Alchemist - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Edward revered as a religious figure because of his yellow eyes and golden hair, Ed’s living in a shitty situation in Xing, F/F, F/M, Gratuitous Ed whump, Ling’s father sucks, Lots of OCs - Freeform, M/M, Rape/Non-con Elements, Royed is endgame, Uh ill add more as i go but, Xing AU, be warned, but yall get some edling first, get ready bc this is gonna be a long ride, greedling is endgame also, he’s too pretty, i know nothing abt china and am pulling stuff out my ass for this, im sorry in advance, it gets way worse before it gets better, its sad, uh so i cant tag for shit but there’s, xing just cant cope
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-21
Updated: 2019-08-22
Packaged: 2020-09-23 05:14:40
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,652
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20334652
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BellaEis/pseuds/BellaEis
Summary: Pretty. Poised. Proper. Perfect.Those were the principles he lived by. Not, in any capacity, by his own choosing, oh, no. He wouldn’t have chosen this for himself if he’d ever had a choice in the matter. Nevertheless, he’d been living like this for so long it had become second nature to be almost always rigid and stoic, far removed from the goings-on around him and still as a statue, ignoring the mounting discomfort of the heavy headdresses and tightly knotted obis that made up his public attire.After a lifetime of blackmailed servitude and humiliation, it will take something as big as a revolution to shake up the world of one Edward Elric, more commonly known as The Jinlong - The Golden Dragon of the West.





	1. Perfection is Overrated

**Author's Note:**

> Guys, this is an idea I’ve had for a long time now, and i have almost all of it planned, and a couple more chapters written. It’s definitely planned to be pretty long, and I am known to sometimes take,,, a while to write new chapters, but after months of these sitting in my files I’ve decided to finally post them. Who knows, maybe it’ll motivate me to write more and write faster!  
Be warned tho, i’m Just a simple South American gal who knows virtually nothing about China or its history and because Xing is supposed to be heavily inspired by China, I’m literally making stuff up from the little i can quickly google sdfkhseajkda  
Feel free to inform me if I accidentally offend, please!!

His first memory was that of a game he used to play with his brother.  


He couldn’t have been more than four or five at the time, but the sound of chalk scraping against the concrete as it formed scribbles on the asphalt of a badly lit, dirty alley remained fresh and clear in his mind.  


It had been raining then, and the conglomeration of cardboard boxes they’d called home had more than a few leaks dripping all over their shivering forms, but neither the biting cold of early spring nor the twisting pang of hunger had taken away from the fun of their little game of scribbling on the floor around the tiny fire they used to huddle around for warmth.  


The game was a silly thing he had come up with in the winter, in a desperate attempt to distract his baby brother from their frozen limbs and the very real threat of hypothermia - his mind a bright one for his age and yet tragically young for the unforgiving reality of their situation: two orphaned brothers, abandoned by their father and left alone in the world after the untimely death of their young mother. Each of them would take turns adding something to the drawing on the ground - a stick figure with a top hat, then a silly mustache, then an eyepatch - and at the end they’d end up with a part-dragon, half-pirate, magic-wielding gentleman with a mission to save the world and the two of them sprawled on the rags they slept on in fits of giggles.  


In truth, there hadn’t been much to laugh at in their sad little lives. But as children they had the advantage of young eyes and hearts, unmarred still from the harsh circumstances the world had forced them into, to keep them afloat, and the increased blood circulation that came with hearty laughter to keep the cold at bay.  
His brother’s laughter then had sounded like a balm to his burdened heart, Edward had come to treasure the memory of it above all recollection of his misfortunes.

-

Shunzhi Yao was a proud man. As Emperor of Xing, his duties were numerous and consequential, and he aimed to complete each and every one with dignity befitting of the grand king he most certainly was. A grand king, a grand Emperor he was indeed, reigning with all the blessings that came with belonging to the sacred clan of Yao, he mused from his seat at the head of his bountiful breakfast table. The royal private chambers around him glistened with all the fineries worthy of the king’s abode, from the rich tapestries dressing his walls to the pristine mahogany of his floors and the gold kitchenware in his hands, and Shunzhi sat, contented with his station, and proudly beheld the extravagant beauty of his gardens through the open window. His was a fine empire indeed.  


Of all the many conquests and honours he’d achieved during his time as Emperor, Shunzhi was particularly proud of how he’d reestablished the absolute authority of the monarchy fifty years prior, where once the power of kings had been waning in the collective minds of the populace. Shunzhi rose from his chair as he contemplated, taking joy from the absolute subservience of the servants who encircled him, all hasty to lower their eyes and bow their heads under his gaze. Today he was feeling particularly wistful, and felt no need to deter his mind from revisiting his finest achievements as he made his way through the halls of his palace. The sacred Yao clan had been the royal family of Xing for many a generation before the other clans had begun scrabbling for the throne, and Shunzhi wasn’t about to stand by and watch his forefathers’ dynasty be foregone for some flawed system of government that had taken over the collective conscious of the west. No, that wouldn’t do at all. His clan was strong and his his power his birthright in his eyes, and that is how he would keep things in his empire - to which end he had, in quite the clever move if he could conjecture, made it his first decree to change the previously arbitrary succession system, one which had fostered centuries of power struggles between the fifty clans of Xing, and declare the title of Emperor a hereditary title, exclusive only to the sons of his sacred house by the means of divine providence.  


It had been a tricky process, and many clans had openly opposed the motion for numerous years, but Shunzhi was an intelligent man. He knew that the people’s mentality was one of the biggest weapons he had in his fight for power, and he didn’t shy away from using it, and any methods that were available to him - in the end, all that mattered was that his clan name reigned supreme above all other forty-nine clans that composed the nation.  


Not to say that his reign had been so far unchallenged in the grand scheme of things, Shunzhi pondered as he made his way across the length of his throne room, accompanied by the reverent eyes of the guards posted along the walls and of the councilmen waiting at the foot of his throne. A faction composed of several of the lowliest clans in the country had united in retaliation soon after his reform in an attempt to gather momentum amidst the people’s confusion and strike him down from power, but Shunzhi had done his job in convincing the country he had help from the heavens well, and the people’s fear of divine retribution had left the rebels’ faction with little support, thus leaving this sad organization known merely as a band of heathers and renegades.  


His empire prospered and his people respected him. Shunzhi reached the ornate, imposing form of his throne and, after a moment, gracefully lowered himself onto it, his eyes pausing over those gathered before him for a second before turning to view the long, organized line of men marching past the tall windows to his right, bright yellow banners, signifying their allegiance to the Han clan, hefted high in their hands.  


It was true that his reign had seen Xing invested in militaristic affairs more intensely than most of his predecessors’, and clan hierarchies upheld much more strictly than they’d been for centuries before him, but Shunzhi Yao was a man of tradition and he saw to it that the ideals of his ancestors were remembered and respected by his nation - an honorable deed which wholly justified his intense use of the empire’s military forces on the lowly, non-conforming clans that presented threat or disrespect to his authority. After all, his was a blessed heritage and the gathering of finely dressed men bowed before his throne was more than enough proof that he deserved his seat on this throne.  


The four Grand Councilors in Shunzhi’s court were hand-picked, skilled men of the highest-ranking clans under the Yao royal family. There was Ji Han, a mostly unassuming, short man who managed the Board of Revenue, which dealt with the economic affairs of the empire; Guan-Hong Han, an older, balding man with stern features and a priest’s attire who was head of the Board of Rites and high-ranking spiritual leader; and Yuan Han, a tall, built man still in his prime, stood in armour that signified his position as head of the Board of War and General of the Yellow Banner of Han. The three were members of the ancient Han clan, as shown by the varying shades of yellow of most of their robes - all saving the single blue-clad figure of his appointed head of the Board of Punishments, which dealt with internal criminals and most legal matters. The short, graying man was a capable fellow of the Zhao clan - not among the highest ranking clans, but they were a respectable family at least, traditional, and most importantly, highly-skilled martial artists, all of them, who trained their children in the ways of combat from early infancy and executed the duties Shunzhi required of them expertly.  


Finally, after a long pause during which absolute silence overtook the spacious room, Shunzhi saw fit to motion for the hunched over forms of his Councilors to rise from their bows, and in doing so granting the men before him permission to speak and allowing for the day’s proceedings to begin.  


It was the deep voice of Yuan Han that broke the heavy silence that permeated the premises that morning:  


“Your Imperial Majesty,” and with a smile and a flourish of his long cape, “it gladdens me to see your continued wellbeing this morning.”  


Shunzhi regarded him appraisingly for a moment. Tall, built with muscle gained from military service and dressed in fine fabrics and a fair amount of jewelry, he had his shoulder-length black hair tied up tightly on the back of his head, and the overall image he presented was to be envied by all men across the realm - that of a strong, handsome, wealthy man with enough wit in his black, calculating eyes to endear any maiden. He had to control the urge to scowl at the conniving man’s attempt at endearment. Yuan was smart, and certainly his most powerful, yet least trustworthy subject. Shunzhi had always had to be careful around him, for the man lacked no ambition for power and the Emperor was aware that the only thing keeping Yuan in his place so far has been the abundance of battles to be won by the man’s command to keep his attention and a certain item of interest Shunzhi held over his head. Even so, he knew he was wise to tread carefully around him and inclined his head in assent of the man’s flattery despite his reluctance.  


Yuan smiled smugly to himself.  


“Let us get to the point” Shunzhi began, “I wish to know how go the preparations for the construction of the desert railway.” It was the single item he was interested in today, for he was anxious for additional trade routes for his merchants - the damage the rebels lose on the main roads were doing to the country’s economy had potential to grow and Shunzhi was running out of options. The “desert railway” was to be Xing’s very first rail line, connecting them to the nation of Amestris across the great desert who few dared cross on foot and opening their markets to trade. It was a well-timed move - and Shunzhi would allow nothing to interfere with its completion.  


“Despite the meddling of the rebel forces, we’ve acquired all necessary materials and resources, Your Highness.” He was answered by the meek form of Ji Han, “All thanks General Yuan’s efforts, of course” He amended hastily, after a stern look from the man himself, before composing himself and continuing, “The only issue we’re facing right now is the shortage of men willing to work on construction: Many capable hands are turning down our steepest offers for the job.”  


“Threaten their families, I say!” Exclaimed Yuan from his position at Shunzhi’s left, “That or bring divine intervention into the bargain and you’ll have an army willing to do any work you can throw at them.”  


“Yes, well... we have tried that... with some success and yet ...many men seem to be ...floundering on the subject of faith, Sire.” Ji Han answered haltingly, his brow sweating visibly under the Emperor’s scrutiny.  


Shunzhi was not pleased to hear this, but apparently his head of Rites was even less so, as his voice rang loudly with indignation,  


“Doubting their faith?! What is this country coming to? Have they no respect for the Sage and all that he has given us anymore?! Heresy, I say! A fallacy of the damnedest kind! My lord, these people must not go unpunished, we must-”  


“Perhaps,” Shunzhi had to admit that Yuan’s abrupt interruption of Guan Hong’s tirade was welcomed, as the religious man’s voice had risen to shrill volumes that the Emperor did not appreciate, “it is time to give the people another... demonstration of the Jinlong’s legitimacy, and by extent, Your Imperial Highness’ power.”  
Silence followed Yuan’s words as every man present fought the urge to turn from the Emperor to gaze behind them at the silent figure seated across the room on a raised dais of his own.  


The Jinlong. With a see-through curtain separating him from the rest of the room, Shunzhi found that even for him it was always an amazing sight to behold the long, blond locks of hair cascading down from the ends of intricate knots and braids, lavished in ostentatious ornaments of precious stones, and the slightly lidded eyes the color of pure molten gold, the petite figure was a sight straight from the heavens, wrapped in champaign-coloured silk that fanned around the dais where he sat, still as a statue.  
The Jinlong was the ethereal-looking boy’s title as far as the people were concerned. Shunzhi had one he preferred when he dealt privately with him, but the important matter was that the general population of Xing, his Councilors included, believed the boy to be the mortal incarnation of the divine, a spiritual figure they paid tribute to and blindly followed without question.  


The story followed that the boy, with his peculiar golden hair and eyes, was the second coming of the Western Sage of legend, who had brought with him the means to harness the Dragon’s Pulse and the beginnings of Alkahestry. The Western Sage’s coming had been the catalyst for the largest age of prosperity in the history of the Xingese Empire, and the people, superstitious and easily impressed, considered him a God. Shunzhi couldn’t help the small upturn of his lips as he looked at the obedient form behind the curtain - he had been smart, very smart indeed to use this boy as the centerpiece to his Empire. In times of crisis such these, when natural disasters abounded and the Earth itself seemed to rebel against her children, the people of Xing clang to the Jinlong as a spiritual figure who could ‘calm the dragon’, as they say, or incite more tragedies where he felt punishment was due.  


Having the spiritual beacon of the age on the palm of his hand had been his most successful move yet. Present the people with a new God to worship and as long as his strings are yours to pull you’ll have their unfaltering obedience - that had been his play when he’d found the boy, orphaned and abandoned in the dirty underbelly of Amestris, and taken him in by force, and he had been rewarded by a decade of mostly unchallenged absolute power. And now, if what his people needed to comply to his wishes was a little entertainment from their beautiful little toy-deity, well then that is what Shunzhi would provide.  


He did not break eye contact with the boy once as he spoke:  


“Guan-Hong,” The man in question startled, having been the only one to turn from his emperor to look upon the Jinlong, his head bowed and his hand crossed over his expensive robes to rest above his heart in a show of respect, and fumbled upright before responding,  


“My Lord?”  


“How long until the next ceremony the Jinlong must perform?”  


Guan-Hong took a moment to deliberate,  


“The next Holy Rite is to take place in two months sire, on the solstice. It’ll be the ceremony of Shangdi, Your Highness, it symbolizes the-”  


“Good.” Shunzhi had no time for the man’s ramblings and he knew from experience he could go for ages if allowed to continue, “We’ll make it a huge event. I want it broadcast to every radio in the nation. Make sure the Jinlong is prepared and disciplined for it. Ji, I want this event planned for to the last detail, and let no expense be spared.” 

His only reply was the sounds of frantic scribbling as Ji Han noted the Emperor’s orders on the clipboard he carried with him as a constant fixture to his arm, “Fu, I want security to be guaranteed. Leave no holes. Make use of your most skilled fighters.”  


A nod from the man’s graying head and that was it. His Councilors were immediately in deep discussion over the new set of orders, and Shunzhi chanced another look at the figure across the room only to find those porcelain features glaring back at him with unrepressed rage. Ah, the pleasure it gave him to have such sway over the boy’s emotions. His anger was no rare sight to the Emperor, no doubt the boy would grow to hate the man who’s kept him caged, powerless and used as an exotic chess piece in his games. No, he was well familiar with the boy’s temper, and how that slight frame could be far from delicate when incensed, and it all just added to the thrill of having such a rare creature completely under his power. He smiled wider- You’re mine, and there is nothing you can do about it.  


Now then, Shunzhi turned back to his Council, there was one more pressing matter he was interested in addressing this morning: The rather prominent absence of a certain important figure on the smaller throne sitting next to his posed a great disrespect to tradition, and yet it had become a common occurrence as of late, to his ultmost displeasure.  


“Before I dismiss this Council, do any of you know the whereabouts of the prince?”  
The contrite expressions before him told him all he needed to know. His only son and heir to his throne, who should, at the age of seventeen, be invested in learning about the ways of a ruler would rather spend his time sparring with the band of low-lives he called his men.  
Shunzhi sighed.  


-  


Pretty. Poised. Proper. Perfect.  


Those were the principles he lived by. Not, in any capacity, by his own choosing, oh, no. He wouldn’t have chosen this for himself if he’d ever had a choice in the matter. 

Nevertheless, he’d been living like this for so long it had become second nature to be almost always rigid and stoic, far removed from the goings-on around him and still as a statue, ignoring the mounting discomfort of the heavy headdresses and tightly knotted obis that made up his public attire.  


Edward walked in short, graceful strides toward his private chambers, assuming his normal appearance of gliding across the floor as he kept pace with his usual entourage of servants and guards - guards in the front, servants behind him holding up the ends of his hair and robes so they would never touch the floor. His left leg gave a twinge of pain at the forced motions, but ignoring that had also become second nature to him; ‘oh, don’t you start on me now!’  


It wasn’t long before the procession reached a small, single-story building that hid behind the enormous, imposing form of the Palace Temple, and at the door Ed could finally leave the entourage behind as he entered his room - a box-like strucure with a single barred window and a concealed door. Entrance to this little room was completely off-limits to all but his chambermaids- who were sworn to secrecy about the exact location of the place- and the Emperor himself. Just before he’d completely crossed the open doorway into his room, Edward allowed himself the simple pleasure of swishing his obnoxiously long hair just enough to smack the ends into the face of the nearest guard, who sputtered and made an annoyed sound, to his joy. Served him right for being creepy and taking way too many liberties with his hands when he walked too close to Ed.  


No sooner did the sliding doors slide shut behind him then Ed was breathing a loud sigh of relief and promptly sprawling ungracefully down on the many cushions strewn about his room. Against the wall across from him, there were three young men and a young woman sat in line, his chambermaids, who were there to fulfill his needs and help him prepare for his every public appearance. From that side of the room there came a loud snort and soft giggles shortly followed as soon as Ed’s ass touched the pillows he was currently slumped on.  


“Fuck off, Fang” He mumbled lazily, wiggling around to sink deeper into his cushions, arms and legs stretched wide enough to make his robes ride up and expose almost indecent amounts of bare skin, “Until you wanna trade places with me I don’t wanna hear it,” he grumbled. ‘Fang’s’ only response was to laugh harder. The boy was 17, about Ed’s age, but a bit taller and wider, with short, dark-brown hair cropping up atop his head.  


In the meantime, a boy only a few years older than both him and Fang had made his way from the line of servants by the wall to crouch down by Ed’s left leg, kneeling down just as Fang decided to pause his laughing to respond to Ed’s complaint,  


“Nah, I think I’ll pas-oomph!”  


“Shut up, dumbass”  


Ed didn’t need to lift his head to know Fang’s sister Hina, knelt beside him by the wall, had silenced the idiot with a well-aimed elbow to his side. Ha. At least the girl twin still had some respect for him.  


“Hey Hina, ya might wanna hit him softer next time, or he’s gonna end up crying again,” Piped up the third boy in the room, and last member of Ed’s little group of attendants. He was the youngest of them all, at fifteen, but towered over everyone, his long black hair tied up in a high ponytail. “Wait no, Hina go ahead and do it once more just for me, won’t ya? I wanna hear that whining sound he made last time again.”  


At this Ed could no longer contain his laughter and joined in with the rest as Fang made a face trying to look as affronted as possible, but failing miserably at pretending he wasn’t enjoying the banter as much as everyone else.  


“You guys really are ridiculous did you kno-ooh yea, that’s the stuff...” His jab at his friends was forgotten immediately, as strong hands worked around Ed’s right leg and he could feel the accumulated stress of resting his body weight on his damaged leg all throughout the morning’s proceedings fading with each careful squeeze and poke. If there was nothing else Ed could claim to trust in his life now, he could always trust on the wonders of a quick Zui Ya massage. “Huzen, have I told you I love you today? Ohh that’s the spot!”  


A bark of laughter met his ears, “Yes, you have, when I massaged your arm this morning because you slept on it, Your Grace.” Huzen replied, moving his hands down from where they’d been on his knee to his calf and suddenly Ed’s sighs of pleasure turned to into sounds of distress.  


“Gah! Never mind that, I don’t love you anymore- Ah!” Huzen just smirked from his place beside him, his hands never pausing in their ministrations.  


“Well, at least you didn’t tell me to go fuck myself this time, so I’ll take it as a good sign.”  


Ed groaned. This was always the unpleasant part of Huzen’s miraculous massages. His calf was the most sensitive spot on his leg and even though he had a high tolerance for pain, he always hated the feeling of his abnormally-positioned muscles being messed with, even knowing it would eventually bring him some relief. He also liked to whine on the rare occasions he got to do so, and the four chambermaids were gonna listen to him complain, like it or not. He had to be human sometime during the day, damn it.  


“Ah! Huzen, have mercy! That hurts, damn it! I’ll fucking report you to captain Holypants, you brute!” By now Ed had propped himself up on his elbows to glare at the older boy holding his leg, but his attempt at intimidation fell short as his moans and groans continued. He glanced behind Huzen at the giggling forms of the other chambermaids, Fang all-out howling with laughter at his misery, “Well you jerks aren’t good for any sympathy, are you? I’ll just be here, then, suffering the pain of my old wounds and wallowing in the memories of my tragic past.” He swung his head around abruptly, his long hair following dramatically, and the movement causing his extravagant hair ornaments to jingle in a cacophony of metallic sounds. Ed knew he had a flair for theatrics, and what better way to express himself than by guilt-tripping his asshole friends? His performance was soon interrupted by Huzen,  


“Oh but the mighty Jinlong has no past! He appeared from the west as a sudden storm, come to calm the Dragon of the Earth and bless our nation with prosperity! Sounds like a pretty good life to me.”  


“Yeah, sure, and then the blasted Dragon stomped on my arm and leg and told me to stick it where the sun don’t shine,” Ed scoffed, “Jinlong my sweaty asscheeks. People will honestly believe anything.” He sighed.  


There was a moment of silence as the laughter quieted down and even Ed’s grunts ceased, and the only sound came from the impact of Huzen’s skilled hands against his calf. Ed looked around at the other occupants of the room and felt his eyes soften for a second - these people were all that was precious to him in this whole wide kingdom. They had been with him since the troubled years of his initiation as a spiritual figure, when he’d been nothing but a homesick child. They knew him - not the Jinlong - and Edward was eternally grateful for all they did to help his days go by a little lighter.  


It was Huzen who broke the silence. Ed hadn’t even noticed his hands stilling and leaving his leg before the larger boy had started to rise from his kneeling position, “All done. You can wallow in your misery all you want till the temple escort gets here.” Said Huzen in the voice he usually reserved for serious business, and just like that, Fang was off sniggering again.  


Ed pouted fo a while, but it didn’t last long as Fang crossed the room to elbow him in the side and he gave in and smiled at the rest of his friends. How he wished he could stay here all day instead of sitting stock still in that dusty old temple for hours while people came in and out, pausing to kneel at his feet, clap a couple times and sometimes cry. Staying completely motionless and aloof in the face of a weeping grandma was the biggest challenge he’d faced yet.  


Their moment was cut short a minute later by quick knocks on the door,  


“Your Grace, it is time for the Temple gates to open.”  


Ed gave a long sigh, “Time to get back to work.”  


He stood up, careful not to put too much weight on his bad leg all at once, and instantly Hina was at his side, fixing his headdress and helping him into the outer robe he wore for the Temple. After making sure all of his clothes were on perfectly straight and tied in all the right places, she grabbed a small container off the dresser he had in the corner, opened it, and dipped a small finger in before spreading the contents over his eyelids and lips in a practiced motion. Ed wasn’t a fan of the face paint, but it was just one more of the seemingly never-ending list of things that just came with his job. When she was done, Hina gave his right arm an encouraging squeeze and he took it as his cue to head out. He walked the distance to the sliding doors and pulled them open, giving his friends one last smirk as he straightened his posture into ‘Jinlong mode’ for the entourage waiting for him outside,  


“You kids behave while I’m gone,” He shot back right as the doors shut behind him.


	2. Two Worlds, Far Removed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which there is a contrast between two very different realities.  
WARNING: some light non-con content here!

There was something to be said about how easy it was to get past the inner wall of the Xingese royal palace, Crown Prince Ling Yao mused as he winked at a flustered guard stood inside the small watchtower to his right and dropped down from the wall on the outer side of it, the masses of armored men marching and training on the green plains of the middle ring finally coming into view.

Ling wanted to laugh at his father’s and his Councilors’ boasts of how secure the whole thing was when his everyday morning route consisted of sneaking out of his rooms through the window, greeting the handmaiden who passed by with the laundry, climbing the crates of fruit delivered next to the wall every morning, and occasionally flirting with the watchtower guard for his silence as he easily flipped himself over the wall to the other side. Seriously, anyone with two legs and a brain could do the same to get inside the inner ring. Oh well, it’s not like the whole royal shebang couldn’t use a robbery or ten to bring the courts and his father down to size, bunch of self-indulgent peacocks that they were.

  
Speaking of peacocks, it had been especially bothersome to lose his fancy, but usually useless guard today. The pompous man seemed particularly determined to drag him to the throne room; his father must have threatened the poor bugger with demotion if he didn’t catch him this time. He couldn’t bring himself to feel sorry for the guy though, he deserved to be taken down a peg too.

  
Ling gave his bare, muscular arms a quick stretch, noting amusedly how many of the soldiers stopped to stare in what they probably imagined to be a discreet manner. He even thought he saw one commanding officer elbow his gawking subordinate in the side. He smirked - that soldier could prove to be quite entertaining if he went up to him for some ‘battle tips’.

  
“That face right there tells me I’m gonna have to watch another poor sod be dishonorably discharged from service ‘cause he can’t keep it in his pants next to the prince, Ya Highness,” A familiar voice sounded to his left, Ling’s smile broadening as he turned to look at the approaching figure, “So let’s just leave the sexually confused alone for today, ey?”

Ah, how Ling would love to either punch or plant one on the smirking face of his best friend who was being a damn kill-joy as he approached - all tanned skin and dressed in a tight and sleeveless vest and loose well-worn pants - _Nice_.

  
“Sexually confused? You know damn well the only thing every man in this military’s sure about is everyone’s willingness to take it up the ass once they move into the barracks.” Despite his fun being cut short, Ling turned to his longest friend and partner in crime with a flippant smile, “Look at them: all glistening muscles and barely repressed sexual tension, something’s bound to break when they’re all close and personal in their communal baths and tiny cots.” 

“Right,” Yang’s big arm encircled his friend’s shoulders in an easy motion as he steered the prince away from still-ogling soldiers, “And Yer Dirtiness would be lecherous enough to go round testing everyone’s limits, I’m aware.”

Now, normally that kind of public slander against the crown prince would alert every man within earshot and cause a stir, but this dynamic was well known, and since Ling himself had always seemed accommodating and even enthused by these interactions, the regular drilling troops around the middle ring barely batted an eye at their antics anymore. 

Besides, Ling was the crown prince and none of those muscle-brains had any right to shove their noses into his business, thank you very much.

“Oh, live a little, Yang! I’ll even introduce you to officer sweetheart over there, he’s a randy little thing and you’re exactly his typ-”

“Come on Ling, you can call a handmaiden to your rooms later to leer at, ya deprived goon. The gang couldn’t make it today - they put Captain Mustache on duty - but let’s get you over to our corner before one of them glorified sluggers snitches on you to the All Mighty Cock.”

Ling sniggered - yeah, that had to be on the top five titles they’d come up with for his father so far.

He had expected for the rest of his men to be denied entry today because of the new shift on the watchtowers, but still, next time he saw Captain Mustache he was using his ‘I’m a royal so I can do whatever I want’ card to shave that formless lop of hair off the man’s ugly face. Ignorant bigot.

Not that his men were even close to being considered official troops by the whole Xingese royal council, as all of them - save Yang, who actually lived in the outer ring of the palace thanks to his adoption into the Zhao clan - were youngsters from the lowliest clans in the capital, not legally allowed entrance into the palace under any circumstances. 

Yang had permission to come and go as far as the middle ring in order to complete his chores, whatever they might be. Ling wasn’t really sure what it was Yang did when they weren’t together sparring or pulling pranks, which mostly only came about when they separated at nighttime or when Ling got himself inevitably dragged away by his attendants under the Emperor’s orders for some important royal occasion or other. Or when they got busted, but that only happened like, twice. They were very good at being sneaky.

Which is how they’d come about their small section of the castle grounds - a nice shaded patch of grass roughly behind the armory that none of the jousting regiments around ever seemed to claim for themselves despite how perfect it was for any kind of physical training. They’d been trying to drop flowery perfume onto the weapons inside the building through the cracks on the roof and Yang had slipped, dragging the both of them down onto the little clearing out back, and Ling had then and there declared that Their Space. 

Ling never really wondered why it was the other troops avoided that place like the plague, but if he had to guess he’d figure they’d seen their prince claim it once and now avoided it in deference to him or something stupid like that. Or it might have something to do with the closeness of The Spot to the patch of wall directly behind the palace temple, which made a lot more sense, actually. No one would dare disturb that place with the rowdiness that comes with military training - not that Ling bought into the superstition of it all. Their loss, really, The Spot was awesome.

“Right, well, no gang today, so you’d better be prepared to get your ass handed to you, seeing as you have my undivided attention,” Ling smirked as he positioned himself in his usual battle stance, “You were so eager to get me away from the little toy soldiers, now you’ll have to satisfy me all by yourself.”

“Someone’s gotta keep ya entertained,” Yang was alreading springing up from a crouched stance, right fist flying at Ling’s face, only to be intercepted by the prince’s forearm in a sturdy block, “Lest you flirt yourself into trouble one of these days, my friend.” And, that was kick to the side - promptly blocked as well.

That leg had some power though, _ouch_. 

Ling smiled - his friend hadn’t lost his form. This was going to be a fun day.

  
————————— 

  
“So, do we have a deal, _ Highness _?”

Light was streaming into the conference room from a tall window to the right of the high-backed, exuberant chair the Emperor of Xing reclined on. 

Yuan Han stood before him, arms folded behind his back in true military fashion, his serious posture contrasting with the pleased, almost giddy expression on his handsome face.

The Emperor’s frustrated scowl was more than enough answer to Yuan’s question. His easy smile turned smug. It was just too easy to get what he wanted from this creature who clung to his station like a babe to a mother’s breast when he had the strength of an entire military force with which to disturb his flimsy reign. And what he wanted was the finer things in life. He wanted the shiniest treasure this nation had to offer.

“Your impertinence with these demands border on treason, Yuan. I could have you flogged for this.” 

The Emperor glared down at him, but Yuan wasn’t worried. Shunzhi Yao might make a fuss but he’d give in eventually. The man was simply too well aware of the chaos he could wreak upon his precious kingdom if he so desired.

“Don’t think I am not aware that you make use of the boy in such ways yourself, majesty. I’m simply asking for a turn.”

Oh, how _ fun _ it was to watch this fool squirm. Yuan could see the exact moment when Shunzhi gave up trying to formulate reasons to deny him and gave in. He had to hold back his laughter.

  
“That _ boy _ is heaven’s gift to this Empire, and you’ll do well to remember that before you even dare think of damaging him; and it is no place of yours to question what your Emperor chooses to do privately,” the prideful Emperor blustered, “Since you seem so fixated on him however, I will grant you access to his private chambers for today only. You may touch him, but you may not bed him. That is a privilege reserved for the Emperor alone.” 

_Marvelous_.

“You have my utmost gratitude, my liege.” Yuan bowed, deciding to indulge the man’s fantasy of superiority, and turned to leave the room.

“Yuan,” He was stopped in his exit by the Emperor’s stern voice, “If anyone in this palace sees you or learns of your little rendezvous, public flogging will be the least of your concerns. I trust I don’t need to tell you to be discreet.”

  
“Of course, sire.”

  
“You are dismissed.”

  
With that, the General of the Yellow Banner made his exit, smile still stretching his lips. He might not have free reign of the Golden Boy yet, but this would do. 

For now.

  
————————— 

Alright, someone up in heaven had it in for him today, Ed decided - which was ironic, considering _ he _ was supposed to represent heaven on earth around here. 

There had been not one, not two, but _ three _ crying grandmas praying at his feet at the temple where he was absolutely obligated to be still and silent as a goddamn statue and Ed was sure by now he must be up there with the best of them on the list of most heartless people on Earth for managing to keep stoic in the face of it all. Ed wanted to strap that dipshit who called himself Emperor down to the dais he had to kneel on, put a heavy-ass helmet on his head, stick pins into his right arm and left leg and leave him there with his own grandma weeping in front of him for a day to see how he’d manage to stay ‘dignified, detached and most importantly, ethereal.’ 

Actually scratch that, Ed would love nothing more than to just kill the bastard. Maybe do the crying grandma first and then kill him, for maximum revenge. 

Call him soft, but the helplessness he felt as he watched people beg and plead for some kind of deliverance from their sorrows, knowing there was nothing he could do, not even offer the comfort of a hand to hold - well, let’s just say that if he shed a tear or five when he was finally back in the confines of his own room no one had any right to judge him for it. 

Ed sighed as he made his way down the narrow hallway that connected the grand temple to his tiny room. There was no one around him for once as there was no danger of anyone roaming around the temple grounds, so he could relax his posture some. The usual sounds of combat coming from across the wall rang muffled around him, and Ed stopped a moment to conjure up in his mind how the men outside would be waving their fists and swords around, and rode out the usual pang of longing he always felt for the chance to experience something like that. 

As he stood there in the hallway and listened some more, for there were no windows in the hallway and the only one in his rooms faced the cold stone of the inner ring wall, Ed could make out a familiar voice among the racket, hooting and laughing as it often did and so very close to him that he could occasionally make out the words that were said, even entire conversations. He had no clue who it belonged to. Sometimes there was another, lower voice responding to it, and other times there were many, all excited sounding and delightful to hear as he made his daily journey down this miserable dark hallway, drained physically and emotionally for all he was worth. 

His bad leg in agony and his very heart spent from long days of fighting against his empathetic nature, those voices were a small but precious comfort he clung to, as much a reassurance that there was more to life than his sad situation as a reminder of the similar happy sounds he held precious in his memory from his little brother. _God_, he missed him. He missed his mom, too.   


Right, enough with the pity-party. He looked enough like a girl already without turning on the waterworks.

He quickly shook himself from his thoughts and crossed the rest of the space to his door, allowing himself a bit of a limp because _ damn _ his leg hurt. 

Crossing his sliding doors and closing them behind him, Ed only had time to drop his outer temple robes on the matting before his senses informed him he was not, in fact, alone in his rooms._ Damn it, not today! _ _   
_

Ed didn’t move to face the tall form lounging next to his door as he spoke,

“General. A pretty big risk for you to sneak in here, isn’t it? The Emperor would have your head on a stake if he found out.” With a nonchalant shrug, Ed began to remove his heavy headpiece, a bead of sweat dripping conspicuously down his face, “You sure being horny’s worth losing everything?” 

His mind was going a mile a minute, and for once he was grateful for his experience in concealing his emotions. 

A deep chuckle met his ears and his already tense body gave an involuntary shudder. Obviously the General didn’t buy his facade of indifference for a second. 

“Now, that wasn’t a very gracious welcome, dolly.” Even from behind him Ed could feel the man’s eyes feasting on his figure as he would a delicious steak and forced himself to focus on keeping his increasing heart rate under control, “Then again, that little spunk you’ve got there makes you so much more appealing.” 

This was bad. Yuan was usually discouraged by the mention of punishment from the Emperor. The fact that he remained confident as ever right now meant that he had either ceased to care about the Emperor’s good graces, or - Ed’s eyes widened. 

The Emperor had allowed this. 

Ed shut his eyes in resignation. There would be no escape from Yuan’s lust anymore. Years of the man’s barely contained desire for him hanging over his shoulders like a dirty mantle and haunting his every waking moment, and now it was all on the edge of being unleashed upon him. 

It took every ounce of will in Ed’s body to stay still as he heard the man amble toward him until he could feel the heat of the General’s body pressing against his back. 

“The way you struggle so very much to contain all that rage you have inside...” Yuan’s hands were in his hair, and the first of the pins that kept it up was off in a swift movement of the other’s hand, “The way you allow this to happen with no real resistance beyond petty insults...” One by one the pins dropped to the floor, and Ed bit his lip almost hard enough to draw blood as his hair waterfalled down around him, There must be a reason you stifle all that pride of yours in this most delicious fashion. I wonder what that could be...” 

Alphonse’s smiling face flashing in his strained mind, Ed felt his heart stutter.   


He whirled around, his mind exhausted and his capacity to remain in control at its absolute limit, and regretted losing his composure immediately as both his arms were instantly caught by the General’s hands and held over his head.  


Edward wanted to scream.  


He wanted to kick and punch and bite at the man before him until he was reduced to a whimpering mess at his feet._ Don’t resist. The Emperor will know if you do. _ _   
_

His face must have betrayed some of his thoughts, for Yuan cocked his head to the side, his eyes glinting with satisfaction.

“You’re a smart little thing, aren’t you? I can see you understand the situation and how it differs from our previous... encounters.”   


Ed scowled up at the General - that creepy bastard could read him too damn well.

“Tell me, are you so deprived that your only choice is to molest people years your junior who have no choice in the matter?”  


Yuan’s face betrayed only his depraved amusement at the situation,

“That’s some interest in my sexual exploits you show, do I sense a smidge of jealousy?”   


_The nerve of this absolute degenerate!_

“_ Tch _.”

Yuan seemed to have had enough of playing with his prey then, for he wasted no time maneuvering them both into a corner and pressing Ed against the wall none too gently.

His bad arm throbbed in pain and the only thing keeping him upright was Yuan’s hold, for he was sure his left leg wouldn’t support his weight anymore - he wasn’t able to mask a grimace.   


The wide collar of his attire slipped slowly down his shoulders. Yuan only smiled wider and leaned forward, inhaling deeply in what Ed was disgusted to realize was a good long sniff of his scent. He couldn’t imagine he smelled too good after an entire day of sweating under his thick temple robes and that brought him a small sliver of satisfaction.   


Ed could feel the man’s erratic breathing ghosting his neck next and attempted once more to keep his racing heart under control._ Calm down, damn it! _ _   
_

It’s not like he hadn’t been subject to this kind of violation before. 

Emperor dipshit certainly hadn’t given two shits about his innocence when he had first claimed him as a goddamned _ child _ , and as he had continued to do so whenever the fancy struck him.   


Him, Ed could deal with. It was disgusting, and it hurt, and it killed him inside a little every time, but what Shunzhi did he did only to his body - in order to keep up his pretense of power and control over him - and as long as he thought of sweet, innocent Al safe and sound back in Amestris somewhere, he could suck it up and nurse his abused backside later with his pride not much worse for wear.  


Yuan, however, _ terrified _ him. This was a man who saw through him in a way that simply having his dark eyes gaze upon him made him feel thoroughly _ defiled. _ Ed didn’t much care what was done to his body at this point, but this was a man who had the power to mess with his _ mind _ . And his mind was the only thing he had left that was truly fucking his in this world. 

“I can practically hear you fretting in that pretty little head of yours, dolly.” Yuan’s voice rasped, his lips ghosting over Ed’s ear in a mockery of a tender whisper. 

“Fuck you!” He spat. He might be forced to go through this, but Yuan was damn wrong if he thought he’d be screwing some docile flunky. Even though he knew his small acts of defiance only aroused the man more, the sheer weight of his frustration and powerlessness was crushing, and it was all he could do to bite his traitorous tongue in the face of the bastard’s taunts.  


A manic smile almost split the man’s face in two, and Yuan’s hands were on his body then, one holding both his captured arms against the wall and the other caressing the inside of his thigh under his robes.   


The sounds of rustling fabric and brushing skin filled the room, but not one more sound did Ed make: Not when his pristine robes were ripped open and teeth sunk into his shoulders; not when he was roughly pushed down to the floor and hit the corner of his dresser on his way down; not when Yuan’s hands squeezed his bad arm hard enough to leave it bruised purple.   


Throughout all of this Ed’s mind had shut down. Years of similar treatment from the Emperor and whatever important dignitary the monarch decided to allow access to him had trained him to separate his mind from whatever was being done to his body, and in that moment Ed felt blessed for if he strained his ears, he could still make out that melodic, cheerful voice from the training fields outside, and there his mind focused instead of the terror going on in his room.   


It soon sounded like he was wrapping things up for the day. His friend made a joke Ed couldn’t quite hear. They’d be going home soon. That was too bad. Ed wished they’d keep talking.   


Yuan seemed to be slowing down. At least his undergarments were still on, Ed noted detachedly.  


Ed had no idea how much time had passed, but eventually he became aware of the taller man getting up and leaving. If he said anything, Ed never heard it.  
In the time it took for his mind to come back to him he just lay there in the exact same position Yuan had left him in. Eventually he blinked his golden eyes lazily, breathed in and out slowly, and turned his head slightly.   


The voice was gone.  


By the light coming through his window, Ed figured the troops outside would be finishing up soon. He’d probably gone home. Yuan would have to go report to the Emperor. That must be why this little session didn’t have time to go past some heavy petting. 

No, that wasn’t it. The General liked to play with his prey before he struck, so he wouldn’t want to take Ed completely just yet - he’d much rather keep wearing him down with the looming threat of complete violation for as long as he deemed it amusing.  


Small mercies.  


Ed closed his eyes and, his body a mass of hurts and aches, stretched his arm to pry open a loose floor mat in the corner. Out of it he pulled an old, monochrome picture, the edges of it frayed and the photographic paper itself mottled with stains of past tears and little flecks of blood. Carefully returning the mat to its place, Ed laid back down on his floor and settled his little treasure next to him where he could stare at it in the silence of his darkening chambers.   


The cheerful face of his little brother smiled up at him from the paper.  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Writing Ling is an absolute joy - be ready to see a whole lot more of him next chapter! Also, don’t You guys worry, a couple more chapters and we finally get some Roy action!


End file.
